Refrigerator

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a refrigerator having a body cabinet formed with a storage compartment, a door opening and closing the storage compartment and a storage basket received in the storage compartment to be movable by sliding, having a grid-shaped basket body with wires having a plurality of vertical wires and a first horizontal wire, comprising support parts formed on internal wall faces of the body cabinet, supporting the storage basket, slide rails coupled with both sides of the storage basket so as to correspond to the support parts, being moved by sliding relative to the support part, and roller members coupled with the slide rails, being rotatable so as to contact the support parts by rolling. With this configuration, there is provided a refrigerator having a storage basket capable of being smoothly operated when it is connected to and disconnected from a storage compartment, thereby making it convenient in use, and whose external appearance is graceful.

This invention is based on and claims priority from Korean PatentApplication No. 2005-0002603 filed on Jan. 11, 2005 in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporatedherein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly,a refrigerator wherein a storage basket can be easily inserted into andexited from the refrigerator, and it is agreeable in visual appearance.

2. Description of the Related Art

A storage basket of a refrigerator may include a plastic basket formedby an injection molding, or a wire basket formed with a plurality ofwires, etc.

Generally, since the other faces of the plastic basket, except for anopening part, are closed, transmission of cool air in a storagecompartment has not been facilitated. For this reason, use of the wirebasket is preferred, rather than the plastic basket.

A conventional refrigerator disclosed in Korean Patent First Pub. No.10-2004-0082698 comprises a main cabinet formed with a refrigeratorcompartment and a freezer compartment, and a refrigerator compartmentdoor and a freezer compartment door installed in front of the maincabinet, opening and closing the refrigerator compartment and thefreezer compartment respectively.

In the lower part of the freezer compartment is inserted a storage boxaccommodating therein goods to be stored. The storage box is coupled tothe rear face of the freezer door whereby it is inserted into or exitedfrom the freezer compartment together with the freezer door when thefreezer door is opened and closed.

The upper part of the freezer compartment is partitioned into the leftand the right by a partition. In the left, an ice maker and an ice bankare installed and a storage basket formed with wires is disposed in theright.

On both sides of the upper right space of the freezer compartment aremounted rail guides whereby the storage basket is slid forward andbackward. On both sides of the storage basket are mounted moving railscoupled to the rail guides, along which the storage basket can beentered into and taken out of the freezer compartment.

With this configuration, the moving rails slidably move with respect tothe rail guides. Accordingly, the storage basket can be inserted into orexited from the freezer compartment. However, in this conventionalrefrigerator, a friction force of the rail guide and the moving railgenerated when the storage basket is entered into or taken out of thefreezer compartment causes insertion and exit operations not to befacilitated, thereby causing inconvenience in use.

In addition, when no moving rail is mounted on the storage basket, wirescoupled to sides of the storage basket contact the rail guide, tothereby cause friction between them. At this time, the coating coveringthe wires is worn off, thereby making an external appearance of thestorage basket disagreeable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide arefrigerator having a storage basket capable of being smoothly operatedwhen it is connected to and disconnected from a storage compartment,thereby making it convenient in use, and whose external appearance isagreeable.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are alsoachieved by providing a refrigerator having a body cabinet formed with astorage compartment, a door opening and closing the storage compartmentand a storage basket received in the storage compartment to be movableby sliding, having a grid-shaped basket body with wires having aplurality of vertical wires and a first horizontal wire, comprising: asupport part formed on both internal wall faces of the body cabinet,supporting the storage basket; a slide rail coupled with both sides ofthe storage basket corresponding to the support part, being moved bysliding relative to the support part; and a roller member coupled withthe slide rail, being rotatable to contact the support part by rolling.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the storage basketfurther comprises a second horizontal wire disposed at external oppositesides of the basket body and coupling with the slide rail. According tothe embodiment of the present invention, the roller member comprises anupper roller member mounted on an upper part of the slide rail, and alower roller member mounted on a lower part of the slide rail; and anupper roller receiving part and a lower roller receiving part in whichthe upper roller member and the lower roller member are respectivelyreceived are formed on the upper part and the lower part of the sliderail.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, a guide railguiding sliding movement of the slide rail is mounted on the supportpart.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the lower rollermember is disposed in front of and separately from the upper rollermember; and at least one projection to define movement of the lowerroller member is formed on a front area or a rear area of the guiderail.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, a horizontalregion is formed on the front area of the guide rail and a lowerinclined region is formed on the rear area thereof.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, an engagement partto maintain an engagement of the slide rail with the storage basket ordisengaging the slide rail from the storage basket is formed on theslide rail and the storage basket respectively.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the engagementpart comprises a region of the wire of the basket body, and a wireinserting part formed on the slide rail, in which the wire is inserted.According to the embodiment of the present invention, the slide railcomprises a rail body coupled to a side part of the basket body; a rearcoupling part extended from the rail body and coupled to a rear part ofthe basket body; and a front coupling part extended from the rail bodyand coupled to a front part of the basket body.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the engagementpart comprises a horizontal engagement part having the second horizontalwire and a horizontal wire inserting part formed in the rail body andinserted with the second horizontal wire; and a vertical engagement parthaving the vertical wire and a vertical wire inserting part formed inthe rail body and inserted with the vertical wire.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the roller membercomprises a roller body, a rotational shaft formed on the roller body,and a roller support part coupled with the rotational shaft, rotatablysupporting the roller body.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the storage basketfurther comprises a cover coupled to one side of the basket body.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention are alsoachieved by providing a method of detachably coupling a slide rail to astorage basket formed with a vertical wire and a horizontal wire,comprising coupling a first side of the slide rail to one of verticalwires disposed on a front part and a rear part of the storage basket;positioning a corresponding part of the slide rail to a horizontal wiredisposed at external opposite sides of the storage basket and couplingthem; coupling a second side of the slide rail to the other one ofvertical wires disposed on a front part and a rear part of the storagebasket.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the coupling theslide rail to the side part of the storage basket comprising couplingthe slide rail to the side part of the storage basket without an extratool by applying pressure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects and features of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following description of preferred embodimentsgiven in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the front of a refrigeratoraccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a guide rail mounted on aninternal face of a body cabinet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a connection of a lowerstorage basket and a slide rail in the refrigerator according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a disconnection of the lowerstorage basket and the slide rail of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view illustrating a main configuration of thelower storage basket of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6A is a sectional view illustrating the lower storage basketinserted into the refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 6B is a sectional view illustrating the lower storage basket exitedfrom the refrigerator according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference tothe accompanying drawings.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a refrigerator according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention comprises a body cabinet 10 having astorage compartment 11 formed with a front opening 10 a, and a door 20installed on the body cabinet 10, opening and closing the storagecompartment 11.

The storage compartment 11 is partitioned into an upper part and a lowerpart by a primary partition 14. A refrigerator compartment 12 is formedin the upper part of the body cabinet 10 and a freezer compartment 13 isformed in the lower part thereof.

The doors 20 includes a refrigerator compartment door 21 and a freezercompartment door 22 which are mounted correspondingly with therefrigerator compartment 12 and the freezer compartment 13, respectivelyopening and closing the refrigerator compartment 12 and the freezercompartment 13.

The refrigerator compartment door 21 and the freezer compartment door 22are horizontally rotated based on a hinge part provided on one side ofthe body cabinet 10.

Within the refrigerator compartment 12 are installed shelves disposedvertically at predetermined intervals, dividing the refrigeratorcompartment 12.

The upper part of the freezer compartment 13 is divided vertically by asecondary partition 15. In the left space is disposed an ice maker 25making ices and removing the ices from the ice maker 25 and an icestorage container 26 in the lower part of the ice maker 25, storingtherein the ices removed. In the right space is installed an upperstorage basket 27 moveable by sliding.

In the lower part of the freezer compartment 13 is installed a lowerstorage basket 28 received movably by sliding in the lower space.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, support parts 16 supporting the lower storagebasket 28 are formed on both internal wall faces of the freezercompartment 13, and projections 17 on which the top of the lower storagebasket 28 to be described later is seated are formed on the upper partsof the support parts 16.

The support parts 16 are depressed laterally on both internal wall facesof the freezer compartment 13, and guide rails 60 are mounted on insideparts of the support parts 16.

The guide rails 60 may be prefabricated in the body cabinet 10 when itis molded by foaming, to thereby be integrally coupled to the bodycabinet 10. A horizontal region 61 is formed on the front area of theguide rails 60 and a downward inclined region 62 is formed on the reararea thereof (refer to FIGS. 6A and 6B. When the lower storage basket 28is inserted in the inside of the freezer compartment 13 along the guiderails 60, it moves along the horizontal region 61 in the front area ofthe guide rails 60 and moves along the downward inclined region 62 inthe rear area thereof, to then be seated in the freezer compartment 13.Accordingly, where the body cabinet 10 is inclined forwardly, thedownward inclined regions 62 of the guide rails 60 prevent the lowerstorage basket 28 from being easily exited forwardly. In addition, afront engagement projection 63 is formed in the front area of the guiderail 60, the front engagement projection 63 preventing the lower storagebasket 28 from being completely exited from the freezer compartment 13.Also, a rear engagement projection 64 is formed in the rear area of theguide rail 60, the rear engagement projection 64 determining aninsertion of the lower storage basket 28. If the lower storage basket 28is completely exited from the freezer compartment 13 due to a use'scarelessness, this may cause the user to be hurt. In this respect, thefront engagement projection 63 would block the lower storage basket 28from being completely exited from the freezer compartment 13, therebypreventing the user from being hurt. In addition, when the lower storagebasket 28 is inserted in the freezer compartment 13, a position of thelower storage basket 28 to be inserted is determined by the lowerengagement projection 64 whereby the lower storage basket 28 is blockedfrom colliding with the body cabinet 10, thereby preventing the lowerstorage basket 28 from being damaged.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 to 5, the lower storage basket 28 comprises alower basket body 29 formed with a plurality of wires 71 shaped with agrid, and a cover 30 coupled to the front of the lower basket body 29.

On the rear of the cover are formed hooks 30 a coupled to the wires 71of the lower basket body 29. The cover 30 may function as a handler withwhich the user can hold it, a cover externally covering goods stored inthe lower basket body 29, a blocker blocking cool air of the freezercompartment 13 from being discharged forwardly.

The lower basket body 29 is shaped with a quadrilateral box having anupper opening, the top of which is outwardly bent from thecircumferential edges of both sides thereof. According to this, the topof the lower basket body 29 can be seated on the projections 17 formedon internal wall faces of the body cabinet 10.

On both sides of the lower basket body 29 are mounted slide rails 40corresponding to the guide rails 60, along which the lower basket body29 is slid relative to the guide rails 60. Here, the refrigeratorcomprises a roller member 50 coupled to the slide rails 40, beingrotated so that the lower storage basket 28 contacts the guide rails 60by rolling. According to this, the lower storage basket 28 can besmoothly inserted and exited by the roller member 50, thereby beingconvenient in use. Further, engagement parts 70 are preferably formed onthe slide rails 40 and the lower storage basket 28, the engagement parts70 maintaining engagement of the slide rails 40 with the lower storagebasket 28 or disengaging the slide rails 40 from the lower storagebasket 28. (Refer to FIG. 5)

The slide rail 40 comprises a rail body 41, a front coupling part 42formed in front of the rail body 41, coupled to the front part of thelower basket body 29 and a rear coupling part 43 formed in rear of therail body 41, coupled to the rear part of the lower basket body 29.

On the upper part of the rail body 41 is formed an upper rollerreceiving part 44 in which an upper roller member 51 to be describedlater is received, and a lower roller receiving part 45 receivingtherein a lower roller member 52 to be described later is formed on thelower part of the rail body 41.

The upper roller receiving part 44 and the lower roller receiving part45 are each depressed to a predetermined depth from a planar surface ofthe rail body 41.

The roller member 50 comprises the upper roller member 51 mounted on theupper part of the slide rail 40 and the lower roller member 52 mountedon the lower part thereof.

The upper roller member 51 comprises an upper roller body 51 a, arotational shaft 51 b mounted on both sides of the upper roller body 51a, and an upper roller support part 51 c coupled to the rotational shaft51 b, rotatably supporting the upper roller body 51 a. Accordingly, theupper roller body 51 a can be rotated based on the rotational shaft 51 bto thereby contacting the upper part of the guide rail 60 by rolling.

The lower roller member 52 comprises a lower roller body 52 a, arotational shaft 52 b formed on both sides of the lower roller body 52a, and a lower roller support part 52 c coupled to the rotational shaft52 b, rotatably supporting the lower roller body 52 a. Accordingly, thelower roller body 52 a is rotatable based on the rotational shaft,thereby contacting the lower part of the guide rail 60 by rolling.Desirably but not necessarily, the lower roller member 52 is disposed inand separately from the front of the upper roller member 51, under whichthe lower roller member 52 is engaged with the front engagementprojection 63 when the storage basket is exited from the freezercompartment 13, and the lower roller member 52 is engaged with the rearengagement projection 64 when the storage basket is inserted in theinside of the freezer compartment 13.

The engagement part comprises a horizontal engagement part 80 having asecond horizontal wire 29 d and a horizontal wire inserting part 81formed on the rail body 41 and inserted with the second horizontal wire29 a; and a vertical engagement part 70 having a vertical wire 29 b anda vertical wire inserting part 72 formed on the rail body 41 andinserted with a vertical wire 29 b. Here, the slide rail is coupled withthe second horizontal wire and the vertical wire of the lower storagebasket. Alternatively, the slide rail may be coupled with a firsthorizontal wire and a vertical wire of the lower storage basket.

The second horizontal wire 29 a and the vertical wire 29 b respectivelycouple with/are separated from the horizontal wire inserting part 81 andthe vertical wire inserting part 72 without an extra tool, therebysimplifying an assembling process thereof.

Insertion of the lower storage basket 28 of the refrigerator accordingto the present invention into and exit thereof from the freezercompartment 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B.

While the lower storage basket 28 is inserted in the freezer compartment13, the lower roller member 52 is engaged with the rear engagementprojection 64 of the guide rail 60.

Thereafter, if a user pulls the lower storage basket 28 forward tothereby exit it from the freezer compartment 13, the upper roller member51 and the lower roller member 52 are rolled along the upper part andthe lower part of the guide rail 60 whereby the former contacts thelatter, and they are moved by sliding. After each of the roller members51 and 52 is moved upward along the lower inclined region 62 of theguide rail 60, it can continue to be moved forward along the horizontalregion 61. At this time, the lower storage basket 28 cannot becompletely exited forwardly from the freezer compartment 13 since it isengaged with the front engagement projection 63 of the guide rail 60.

With this configuration, a method of coupling the storage basket and theslide rail of the refrigerator according to the present invention is asfollows.

First, a user couples the vertical wire 29 b disposed on a rear part ofthe lower storage basket 28 and the rear coupling part 43 of the sliderail 40. At this time, the vertical wire 29 b on a rear part of thelower storage basket 28 forcibly fits the vertical wire inserting part72 formed in the rear coupling part 43 by applying pressure.

Then, a corresponding part of the slide rail 29 is positioned to ahorizontal wire 29 d laterally disposed outside the lower storage basket28 to be coupled therewith. At this time, the horizontal wire 29 dlaterally disposed outside the lower storage basket 28 forcibly fits thevertical wire inserting part 81 formed in the rail body 41 of the sliderail 40 by applying pressure.

Finally, the vertical wire 29 b on a front part of the lower storagebasket 28 is coupled to the front coupling part 42 of the slide rail 40.The vertical wire 29 b on a front part of the lower storage basket 28fits the vertical wire inserting part 81 formed in the front couplingpart 42 by applying pressure. Here, the coupling of the front part ofthe lower storage basket and the front coupling part of the slide railoccurs at the same time as the coupling of the lateral part of the lowerstorage basket and the rail body of the slide rail.

Thus, the storage basket and the slide rail are assembled and detachedfrom each other without an extra tool, thereby improving workefficiency.

In connection with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, ithas been described that the roller member contacts the guide rail byrolling, but the roller member is available for contact by rolling whereno guide rail is provided; at this time, the roller member can contactthe support part by rolling.

In connection with an exemplary embodiment, it has also been describedthat the lower storage basket contacts both internal wall faces of thebody cabinet by rolling, but the upper storage basket may also contactan internal wall face of the body cabinet and a secondary partition byrolling.

In connection with an exemplary embodiment, it has also been describedthat the rear parts of the storage basket and the slide rail are coupledwith each other first, then the side parts thereof are coupled with eachother, and finally the front parts thereof are coupled. Alternatively,the front parts of the storage basket and the slide rail may be coupledwith each other first, and then the side parts and the rear partsthereof may be coupled. The method of coupling the storage basket andthe slide rail is not limited thereto, and may be various as long as itprovides a simple assembling process.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with anexemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it shouldbe understood that the present invention is not limited thereto andthose skilled in the art can make various modifications and changeswithout departing from the scope of the invention.

1. A refrigerator having a body cabinet formed with a storagecompartment, a door opening and closing the storage compartment and astorage basket received in the storage compartment to be movable bysliding, having a grid-shaped basket body with wires having a pluralityof vertical wires and a first horizontal wire, comprising: a supportpart formed on both internal wall faces of the body cabinet, supportingthe storage basket; a slide rail coupled with both sides of the storagebasket corresponding to the support part, being moved by slidingrelative to the support part; and a roller member coupled with the sliderail, being rotatable to contact the support part by rolling.
 2. Therefrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage basket furthercomprises a second horizontal wire disposed at external opposite sidesof the basket body and coupling with the slide rail.
 3. The refrigeratoras claimed in claim 1, wherein the roller member comprises an upperroller member mounted on an upper part of the slide rail, and a lowerroller member mounted on a lower part of the slide rail; and an upperroller receiving part and a lower roller receiving part in which theupper roller member and the lower roller member are respectivelyreceived are formed on the upper part and the lower part of the sliderail.
 4. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 3, wherein a guide railguiding sliding movement of the slide rail is mounted on the supportpart.
 5. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 4, wherein the lowerroller member is disposed in front of and separately from the upperroller member; and at least one projection to define movement of thelower roller member is formed on a front area or a rear area of theguide rail.
 6. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 5, wherein ahorizontal region is formed on the front area of the guide rail and alower inclined region is formed on the rear area thereof.
 7. Therefrigerator as claimed in claim 2, wherein an engagement part tomaintain an engagement of the slide rail with the storage basket ordisengaging the slide rail from the storage basket is formed on theslide rail and the storage basket respectively.
 8. The refrigerator asclaimed in claim 7, wherein the engagement part comprises a region ofthe wire of the basket body, and a wire inserting part formed on theslide rail, in which the wire is inserted.
 9. The refrigerator asclaimed in claim 7, wherein the slide rail comprises a rail body coupledto a side part of the basket body; a rear coupling part extended fromthe rail body and coupled to a rear part of the basket body; and a frontcoupling part extended from the rail body and coupled to a front part ofthe basket body.
 10. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 9, wherein theengagement part comprises a horizontal engagement part having the secondhorizontal wire and a horizontal wire inserting part formed in the railbody and inserted with the second horizontal wire; and a verticalengagement part having the vertical wire and a vertical wire insertingpart formed in the rail body and inserted with the vertical wire. 11.The refrigerator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the roller membercomprises a roller body, a rotational shaft formed on the roller body,and a roller support part coupled with the rotational shaft, rotatablysupporting the roller body.
 12. The refrigerator as claimed in claim 1,wherein the storage basket further comprises a cover coupled to one sideof the basket body.
 13. A method of detachably coupling a slide rail toa storage basket formed with a vertical wire and a horizontal wire,comprising: coupling a first side of the slide rail to one of verticalwires disposed on a front part and a rear part of the storage basket;positioning a corresponding part of the slide rail to a horizontal wiredisposed at external opposite sides of the storage basket and couplingthem; coupling a second side of the slide rail to the other one ofvertical wires disposed on a front part and a rear part of the storagebasket.
 14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the coupling theslide rail to the side part of the storage basket comprising couplingthe slide rail to the side part of the storage basket without an extratool by applying pressure.